The invention also concerns a processing machine comprising at least a processing device with at least one cutting tool for separating at least a part of products for consumption conveyed in a row and an associated and referenced conveying apparatus upstream of the processing device, wherein the processing device is arranged directly at the end of a conveying section intermediate space of the conveying apparatus which conveys the products for consumption in a row.
The generic conveying apparatus is known as a component of a skinning machine for fish fillets. The conveying apparatus is arranged closely in front of the blade of a band knife. A fish fillet placed on the second conveying surface, skin side down, particularly with its tail end first, is transported through the conveying intermediate space. The second conveying surface is an inflexible, non-deformable counter-surface. Upon entry into the conveying intermediate space, the pressure elements are contacted and individually raised depending on the height and/or profile cross-section dimension of the fish fillet. In this way, the fish fillet is fed in a straight position to the band knife, which particularly separates a thin layer, removing the silverskin. Skin removal should take place without cutting loss and without forming isolated patches of skin. Known pressure elements in the form of fingers are provided for pressing of the first conveying surface. With the objective of holding the fish fillets in a straight position and pressed evenly in their width on the counter-surface, the known fingers have been provided with a flat profile which has a flat pressure-applying surface with lateral rounded edges. It has been assumed that at usual conveying speeds (such as 80 m/min) such a flat profile is suited for defined pressing of fillets onto the second conveying surface, even with larger dimensions and with a particularly thin abdominal flap area. However, it has been found that particularly in the area of a thin visceral cavity in the width dimension, external fingers are no longer raised or are raised insufficiently, so that—consequentially—the meat is pushed together inwardly to the centre of conveyance, even if only a little. Generally, the next outer finger should cause compression toward the middle of the conveying path, even if only a little. In any case, the result of deep skinning of fillets with larger dimensions, such as salmon fillets, pressed by known pressing fingers is unsatisfactory.
Accordingly, the invention has assumed the object of significantly improving the application of the deformable conveying surface to the products for consumption having soft parts and intended for processing in order to obtain products for consumption at the exit of the conveying apparatus in an optimal uniform, defined position, even largely independent of very diverse dimensions for the products for consumption, said position enabling subsequent processing to be performed reliably and without disturbance and/or incorrect processing.